Excavation progressing At 299 Fremont Street

Wood and steel perimeter shoring can be seen supporting the 20+ foot deep excavation trench at the 299 Fremont Street location. Golub & Company LLC is racing towards a late 2015 completion for phase 1 of the Transbay Block 6 site. The 409 unit project will contain 10,000 sq. feet of ground retail space and consist of a 300 foot apartment tower and an adjacent mid-rise building. Currently, bulldozers and excavators surround a shrinking mound of dirt and gravel in the center of the expansive hole. The north part of the site seems unexcavated and reserved for phase 2 of the project which will contain an additional 136 subsidized affordable units.

Compared to competing architect renderings, the 32 story tower designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz lacks a modern innovative facade and overall seems somewhat utilitarian. Aesthetics aside, the building is seeking (LEED) Gold certification and contains many environment-friendly elements such as gardens on the roof and “sky gardens” lining every 3rd floor. MEPT and Bentall Kennedy are sponsoring the new site while Balfour Beatty and Cahill Construction are heading up the development and construction.